Just pulled head and engine/ trans today. 87 2.2 T2

[Tonatom2]

We pulled the engine today separated the head intake and turbo, removed that first.

Turbo has side to side shaft play unfortunately.

Head removed has the 87 Slider cam in it but looks to be a later head (1991) Made in Mexico casting. The valves etc look good.

Engine still has plenty of cross hatch so we may just be replacing rings. Compression was 130 130 125 100. But it had idle speed blowby out the valve cover. So I assume the rings on that 100 comp cyl are crap.

The trans had a bad input shaft leak it looks like A555. Hoping to be able to save the clutch but doubt it.

I also have an 89 head with the 89 roller cam in it.

Should I swap the roller cam over to the 91 head and run the Mopar performance 5 slot cam gear I have?

What would you guys do?

Just a car for my kid her first car want to keep it pretty reliable.


Photos here are all of the 91 head.

[Tonatom2]

Here's photos of 89 head.

Plus trans

[cordes]

I'm thinking you'll need a new piston in #4. I would just do rings and whichever pistons look rough. Whichever head looks healthier is the one I would use. Couldn't hurt to reseal the input shaft, but that looks like a common bell housing to me, depending on mileage.

[Tonatom2]

What do you mean by common bellhousing? Like later model for common block?

The engine still has the fuel pump block off plate so its a pretty common block.

Where I live unfortunately there are no litteraly no parts left around these parts.

Its an A555 so should still be able to get parts.

[Tonatom2]

I'm thinking you'll need a new piston in #4. I would just do rings and whichever pistons look rough. Whichever head looks healthier is the one I would use. Couldn't hurt to reseal the input shaft, but that looks like a common bell housing to me, depending on mileage.

See previous post.

[135sohc]

Common bell-housing meaning they all look like that (greasy, oily mess) when they get a few miles on them. The rear main seal does not take much to leak and combined with the clutch dust it turns nasty real quick.

[Tonatom2]

Common bell-housing meaning they all look like that (greasy, oily mess) when they get a few miles on them. The rear main seal does not take much to leak and combined with the clutch dust it turns nasty real quick.

Ah okay. This looks more like the oil started from the trans input outward the way the spray pattern is. The backside of the flywheel looks decently clean.

[135sohc]

When you do the transmission seal make sure you don't lose the shim and plenty of rtv on the seal retainer and the three bolts.

[cordes]

In addition to what has been said, if you have the fuel pump block off plate, you have a pre-common block engine. Not a big deal at all.

I would plan on needing at least one new piston for the cyl. with 100 compression. It's most likely a cracked/broken/melted piston, and not just bad rings. Especially since it's #4.

[Tonatom2]

In addition to what has been said, if you have the fuel pump block off plate, you have a pre-common block engine. Not a big deal at all.

I would plan on needing at least one new piston for the cyl. with 100 compression. It's most likely a cracked/broken/melted piston, and not just bad rings. Especially since it's #4.

Thanks. Got the strip it down to find out.

[Tonatom2]

So looks like the piston is fine, has a li'l ridge on one side from when last people put pistons in and likely had it a li'l off center.

Pistons are 3.426" measured ring gap at 0.016"

Looks like it was possibly a head gasket going as there is some staining on the wall of that #4 piston sleeve.



I'm thinking I just slap This back together and run it with a new HG.

Can anyone tell me if these pistons are newer? Looks like a casting date of 12/91.

Little weeny score on the rod bearing but nothing scary to just run it.

Attached the rod pn too.

So originally this engine block has a casting date of late 86 for 87 model year. The head I pulled off was a 91 casting.

So it looks like this engine has definitely been gone through before.

No muck or bearing material in the oil pan either but had been off.

[Tonatom2]

Edit. Measured 1/2" above skirt to 3.472 so this has been bored 30 over.

Looking closer at the HG you can see where it was failing between 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 cyls.

The cross port holes in head gasket between those 2 cyls were plugged up...

Im just going to reseal it and slap it back together.

And run it.

[cordes]

Looks like you dodged a bullet with just a bad head gasket. That's great!

[Tonatom2]

Looks like you dodged a bullet with just a bad head gasket. That's great!

For sure. Just going to clean the block up now pain't it reseal and run with it.

However the block needs to be power washed out real good. The coolant passages are full of muck and grit. Even found the foil from a coolant bottle cap in one of the jackets lol.

[Shadow]

If you can, I would slap a roller cam in there while you're at it. I got away from sliders 30 years ago and would never run one again.

[Tonatom2]

If you can, I would slap a roller cam in there while you're at it. I got away from sliders 30 years ago and would never run one again.

I did end up putting the roller cam in. I've got the mopar performance 5 position timing sprocket set at 4 degrees will see how that works when starting it up.